Croft



N0. 6l|,868. Patented Oct. 4, I898. H. T. PYCRDFT.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 10, 1898.

(N0 Model.)

W/ TNE SSE S TERS co, FFOTO LYTMOH WASHINGTON. n. c.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY THOMAS PYOROFT, or PARNELL, NEW ZEALAND.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,868, dated October4, 1898.

Application filed June 10, 189 8- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY THOMAS PY-' CROFT, of Parnell, Auckland, NewZealand, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is a game apparatus of that class in which an inclinedboard or way is provided and spherical objects. arranged thereon to rollalong its length and score certain points for the players.

This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, whilethe claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isasectional view of the invention in operative adjustment.Fig. 2 is an edge elevation with the parts in folded position. Fig. 3 isa plan View of the invention with the parts in folded position, and Fig.4: is a partial section of one of the cups which are manipulatedlby' theplayers.

The game apparatus has a base 5,011 which are arranged side by side theboards 6. These boards are two in number and are hinged to the end edgesof the base 5, respectively at opposite ends, so that when the boardsare raised, as shown in Fig. 1, they will be in-' clined oppositely,respectively, toward the players, who shall be seated one at each end ofthe base 5. Mounted to swing on the base 5 are two braces 7, which arelocated, respectively, beneath the boards 6 and are adapted to engagenotches in the bottoms of the boards, so as to hold the boards elevatedat.

free end of each board and arranged to cross the corresponding groove isa rock-shaft 10.

semi No. 683,090. (Ndmorieh) Each rock-shaft 10 carries a cage 11, whichcages swing with the rock-shafts and are movable up and down in and outof the grooves, so that the balls 12 may be heldin the grooves at thefree ends of the boards 6 or permitted to roll downward through thegrooves. Each shaft 10 has a crank 14. These cranks 14 project inwardand are engaged, respectively, by levers 15, which are fulcrumed,respectively, at the inner edges of the boards 6, approximately midwaythe length thereof, and which have at the ends adjacent to the hinges ofthe boards upwardly projected thumbpieces 16. By pressing down thethumbpieces 16 the opposite ends of the levers 15 are thrown up. Thisthrows up the cranks 14 and rocks the shafts 10 to lift the cages 11 andrelease the balls 12, permitting the balls to roll down the grooves inwhich theyare respectively arranged. Each board is provided with threedials and indicators 17, the dials bearing numbers from FO up to 9 andthe indicators being arranged to turn around the respective dials. Oneach board the dials and indicators are arranged to record,respectively, units, tens,'and hundreds, so that the score of the gamemay thus be'kept. Each groove 9 has the end which is adjacent to thehinge of its board 6 widened, as shown in Fig. 3,and provided withbafflepins 18,'which serve not only to baffle the balls, but also toform three compartments at the base of each groove. These compartmentsare provided with suitable numbers, as shown-in -Fig. 3, by which toindicate thescore for the player whose ball shall enter any one of thecom partments.

Each groove 9 is provided between its ends with a series oftransversely-extending division-lines dividing the groove into spaces,and each of these spaces is provided with a number, as may be seen inFig. 3, which numbers score points for the players who shall arrest theballs in any of said spaces.

Each player is provided with an instrument for arresting the balls atpoints intermediate the ends of the grooves. These instruments, as shownin Figs. 1 and 4, have each a'handle 19, holding a curved shank 20, totheend of which is fixed a cylindrical cup 21.. I

In using the apparatus the boards are inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, andthe players stationed opposite each other at each end of the base 5.Each player carries in one hand the instrument for arresting the ballsand with the other hand manipulates the lever 15 of the board 6 on whichhis opponent plays. The balls 12 are first placed in the cages 11, andat the word go the players simultaneously depress the levers 15,so as tolift the cages and release the balls. Then with the arresting intrument,the players endeavor to stop the balls at some point along the grooves 9intermediate their ends, and when a ball is stopped in one of thespacesmarked on the grooves the player so stopping the ball scores asmany points as there are units in the numbers marked in the groovesintermediate their ends. Should a player be unsuccessful in arrestingthe ball before the ball reaches the lower or widened end of the groove,the ball will passinto one of the compartments formed by the baffle-pins18, and his opponent then scores points according to the number on thecompartment in which the ball rolls. The scores are cast up on theindicators and dials 17, as is usual in such game apparatus. It is animportant feature of the invention that the cage 11 of one player isreleased by the action of his opponent, so that the starting of theballs 12 is abrupt, and the task of arresting the ball is therefore moredifficult.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base,boards hinged on the base at opposite ends thereof, so that the boardsmaybe raised to oppositely-inclined positions, the base having recessessin its upper surface, and braces mounted to swing on the base andcapable of holding the boards lifted, and also capable of dropping intothe recesses in the base to lie flush with the upper face thereof.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination with a base, of two boardsmounted thereon and adapted to be inclined oppositely a cage at theupper end of each board, the cages being capable of holding andreleasing objects movable along the boards, and a means for operatingeach cage, such means being carried respectively by the boards andextending down to proximity with the lower ends of the respectiveboards.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base, two boards mountedthereon and capable of being inclined oppositely, a cage at the upperend of each board to hold and release an object movable along theboard,and a lever fulcrnmed to each board and extending along the lengththereof, the levers being respectively capable of operating the cages.

4. A game-board having a base, two boards mounted on the base inparallelism with each other, the boards being hinged to the base atopposite ends, and means for supporting the boards in inclined positionson the base so that the boards are inclined oppositely to each other andcross each other at points intermediate the lengths of the boards.

HENRY THOMAS PYOROFT.

IVitnesses:

E. A. MAoKEoHmE, O. NICHOLSON.

